


Just My Hands

by REM_It_Up



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: College, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Minor Dummy, Minor Howard Stark, Protective Rhodey, Rhodey Is a Good Bro, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-13 23:06:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7141895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/REM_It_Up/pseuds/REM_It_Up
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a lab accident Tony ends up with a hurt hand that leaves him unable to build anything. Rhodey steps up to be his "hands" during the weeks it takes for Tony to heal. A misunderstanding ensues where Rhodey thinks Tony doesn't trust him, but (as most Tony Stark feels start), it's not Rhodey it's Howard.</p><p>Rhodey helps ensure Tony that Tony Stark is more than just his hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just My Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Treat the [The Brackets] like additional dialogue from Tony and Rhodey!
> 
>  
> 
> _[Tony Speaking]_  
>  [Rhodey Speaking]
> 
>  
> 
> I know Dum-E was supposed to be made in Howard's lab by Tony but just pretend he doesn't make it until he's at MIT.

Rhodey was awoken from his well-deserved sleep by his phone blasting “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC….Tony. Rhodey groaned, he was exhausted from spending the day before writing his paper that was due by midnight and finishing his homework due the next day.

[Damn it Tony this is all your fault…I told you I had to work to do but you dragged me outside…Yes it is your fault Tony, next time you want to play Lazer Tag I’m going to shoot you myself….yes I love you too now let me work].

By the time he went to bed Tony was already sleeping and Rhodey was sure he left for the workshop extra early this morning because he had been going on and on about a robot he wanted to build for the past few days.

Rhodey flipped onto his back and flung his hand onto the table next to his bed, he yawned loudly as he groped around for his phone.

He made a small sound of victory when he finally found it and pressed the answer button while he brought it to his ear, “’Lo?”

“Rhodey Bear!” Tony chirped happily, “I’m glad you’re awake!”

“I’m awake now Tony…” Rhodey ran a tired hand over his face, “I was sleeping, some of us didn’t get to bed until 3 this morning.”

“I hear ya Platypus, I hear ya,” Tony agreed quickly, “And you know I hate waking you up because let’s be honest, you can be a little grumpy Rhodey.”

Rhodey’s eyes narrowed, “What are you talking about Tony?” he asked, suspiciously

“I’m just saying and I like to think that you’re a little less grumpy and more open to my schemes when you got a full night’s sleep, you know? Not that you’re no fun when you don’t get any sleep but you’re less likely to question my ideas when you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed. Regardless, I would take you either way SourPatch, you know I love… ”

“Yeah, yeah… I love you too, Tony” Rhodey interrupted throwing off his covers and going to his closet to find some clothes. He had been friends with Tony long enough to know that there was something important that Tony wasn’t saying. “What’s wrong?”

“Um…” Tony stalled, which just made Rhodey get dressed even faster. He threw on his shoes and started towards the door

“Tony!?”

“…Don’t panic because I’m panicking enough for the both of us believe me; but my hand is like…three times its normal size and it really really hurts. Can you come take me to the hospital?”

“Tony!!”

“Yelling at me isn’t helping, Rhodey!!”

\---

It was at the hospital where Rhodey learned why Tony looked like his hand was about to explode. Tony [Stupidly… _Shut up Rhodey_ ] had tried to lift a heavy piece of machinery by himself and accidently crushed his hand. It was quick and there was no blood or cuts so initially Tony thought he got away with just a sore, maybe bruised, hand. After a few minutes he realized that he wasn’t that lucky [ _I’m Tony Stark!_... That has nothing to do with how lucky you are Tony.] and his hand started to swell, change color, and become more and more painful. (Tony tucked his head into Rhodey’s neck and didn’t talk the entire taxi ride to the hospital as he tried desperately to ignore the pain.)

After they got to the hospital and Tony was checked in it turned out that the crushing had resulted in compartment syndrome. The doctors explained it simply as the crushing causing pressure inside of Tony’s hand that could seriously damage the nerves and vessels if the pressure wasn’t released immediately. There was a quick surgery where they sliced Tony’s hand to relieve the pressure, luckily Tony had come in immediately [ _Hear that Rhodey, they said luck_... Shut up Tony] so there would be no lasting damage; they wrapped and splinted his hand and wrist because he also sustained a few metacarpal fractures.

Tony then had to spend the next few days in the hospital while they monitored him just in case he developed an infection. Tony was initially completely against this of course, complaining (quite loudly) that he was fine and that they couldn’t keep him there against his will (even going so far as threatening to call the police to report himself kidnapped and held hostage).

“This is ridiculous!” Tony snarled, attempting again to sit up, “I have better things to do then sit in a hospital bed twiddling my thumbs.”

“I would highly advise against moving the fingers on that hand, Mr. Stark,” the Doctor said, motioning for Tony to lay back down, “It would only do more damage.”

Tony looked at him like he was the most idiotic person he ever had the displeasure of talking to “I was being sarcastic, you DUM…”

“Tony…” Rhodey chastised, resting a hand on his shoulder, “Calm down”

Of course Rhodey had been there the entire time, he wrote both his and Tony’s professors on the ride and had them both excused from class. Rhodey was also right there by Tony’s side when they did the surgery bedside, holding Tony’s good hand tightly and offering a reassuring smile whenever Tony looked at him.

Tony stopped fighting and let Rhodey push him back on the bed, “Rhodey, I have projects…homework, I can’t just….”

“You can be excused for a little bit Tony,” Rhodey said gently, “You’ll only end up hurting yourself more.”

Tony looked like he was about to start arguing again, but under Rhodey’s calm gaze he closed his mouth and lay back on the bed, eyes closing begrudgingly. Rhodey met the doctor’s eyes nodding silently and the doctor looked back with a grateful expression on his face before he left.

Rhodey slid his hand down Tony’s arm to his hand and grasped it as he sat down on Tony’s bedside, “I’ll be here the whole time, Tones”

Tony’s only reply was to squeeze Rhodey’s hand tightly

\---

Tony had gotten released a few days ago after he showed no sign of getting any infections and his hand started healing correctly [ _I told you I was fine_ …Hush Tony]. Upon his release he hand was wrapped in a black splint that covered most of his hand and his forearm. Besides his pinky and ring finger on his right hand, he had very little movement in his hand. He had also been told, i.e. commanded, not to try and use his hand or it would take longer than the initial 6 weeks for his hand to heal.

Tony tried to object, of course he did, but Rhodey interrupted him and assured the doctor that Tony wouldn’t be doing anything with that hand until they told him he could. Tony glared at Rhodey but didn’t say anything, just stuck his tongue out at the doctor when he left [Mature… _I am the height of maturity, thank you_ ].

When Rhodey and Tony got back to their apartment, Tony having successfully talked Rhodey into moving in, in only took a half an hour to start moaning. Rhodey tried his best to entertain him and watch him, Tony was always fast to get bored and he couldn’t be trusted by himself, but Rhodey couldn’t be with him all the time (They both still had class after all). While Rhodey tried to keep an eye on him he knew it was only a matter of time before Tony was back in the workshop. 

He lasted one day

“Tony Stark” Rhodey said, arms crossed

On Wednesday’s Rhodey had training with the rest of the ROTC and he usually got home around 7 p.m. When he got out today he didn’t even bother going back to the apartment, instead he went right to the MIT workshop…where he found Tony.

Tony looked back at him guiltily from where he was sitting on the floor. He had oil streaked on his clothes and his face with what looked like a…claw sitting in his lap. He held a screwdriver in his good hand while his bad hand was trying to hold the claw down.

“I thought you said you weren’t going to try and use that hand?” Rhodey scolded, walking over to Tony and offering Tony a hand up

“I didn’t actually agree to that” Tony said, tucking the claw to his chest he reached for Rhodey’s hand and stood up, “You just told me not to”

Rhodey stared at him eyebrows raised and Tony immediately started talking again, “Besides I’m not using my bad hand, I’m using the arm attached to it to hold things down. See?” He placed the claw on the table and leaned on it, demonstrating what he was doing, “I was using my splint-free hand to do all the work and honestly I can barely move my hand with this splint. Besides why should both of my hands be punished if only one of them is the problem child? That’s not fair and you know I’m ambidextrous anyway. I’m always saying I could make stuff better than anyone else with only one hand, Rhodey, this is a perfect time to prove it!”

“Tony”

“I know Rhodey, I know” Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair, “It’s actually really hard to do this one handed, but I’m just so bored not doing anything.”

“Added with the fact that you were told not to do anything…” Rhodey laughed

“Oh yeah,” Tony smiled, shaking his head, “That definitely makes the desire to do something stronger.”

Rhodey leaned back on the workbench, “Still Tony, you know you should be at home resting. You don’t want to…”

“Injure myself more? Make it worse?” Tony mumbled, irritably, “Yeah Rhodey, I know.”

Tony took in a deep breath and released it loudly, “I just…” He got quiet, obviously trying to explain how he felt and Rhodey waited, “I hate having things unfinished.”

That wasn’t entirely true, Rhodey realized, there is another reason why Tony wants to be working. Like he said he knew this kid pretty well by now…but Rhodey also didn’t like pushing Tony to talk. When he wanted to talk he knew Rhodey would be there to listen, but for now…

“Let me help” Rhodey nudged Tony’s side

Tony’s eyes shot up, “What?”

“I can help you finish your projects,” Rhodey explained, nodding his head at the claw on the table, “I’m kind of in a lull as far as my classes, I can help you out here and be an extra set of hands.”

“Really?” Tony asked, smiling, “You would help?”

“Yeah” Rhodey said easily, “I mean if you trust me to…”

“You’re the only one I would trust” Tony had a faint blush on his cheeks (Like he normally gets when emotions are involved)

“Then you got me”

\---

True to his word, whenever Rhodey had free time they went to the workshop and Rhodey helped Tony finish the projects he started before he got hurt. The biggest was a big robot (the owner of the claw) that Tony said was going to help him in the lab. Rhodey lost track of how long he has been helping Tony out but it feels like it has been ages.

He loves Tony, he really does and Tony is his best friend but Tony is driving him crazy. When he volunteered to be ‘Tony’s hands’ he knew that he was going to deal with a little shoulder crowding and Tony micromanaging everything. He just didn’t think it was going to be this bad…

He was sure Tony didn’t realize he was doing it, but sometimes it felt like he forgot that Rhodey went to MIT too. He wasn’t an idiot and he knew his way around a workshop, true they’re going into different fields but Rhodey knew what he was doing.

\--

“You have to clamp that piece down before you drill it” Tony said, from over Rhodey’s shoulder as Rhodey lined up his bit for the drill press

“I’m going to Tony,” Rhodey made sure to clamp the piece as loudly as loudly as possible

\--  
“You have to be really careful with the lathe,” Tony explained, “If you take too much you can’t put it back”

“Got it, Tony” Rhodey said, attaching the metal to the chuck

“Watch your cutting depth,” was the last thing Rhodey heard before he started the machine, he grit his teeth

\--

“You want to do a continuous cut for these long cuts,” Tony said, motioning with his hands as Rhodey got the plasma cutter

Rhodey nodded but didn’t say anything, not really trusting himself to even open his mouth

\--

“Is that the right screwdriver?”

Rhodey sighed loudly and dropped his head and the screwdriver in question. ‘Can I make it for 3 more weeks?’ he thought to himself tiredly.

“Tony, I know what screwdriver I need” Rhodey said, lifting his head back up and turning to look at his Tony-shadow

Tony nodded and back up from his shoulder, “Yeah, I know Rhodey...I just...I couldn’t tell which one you grabbed, that’s all.”

Turning back around Rhodey held it up and twirled it in front of Tony, “Phillips head screwdriver”

Tony nodded again, staying silent when Rhodey turned around, “Is it the right size? You might want a bigger one.”

Rhodey dropped his head again before standing up from his crouching position and turned to Tony, “Seriously, man?”

“What?” Tony said and he honestly looks confused, “Am I hovering?”

“Hovering?” Rhodey scoffed, tossing the screwdriver on the workbench, “No, hovering would be if you simply stayed over my shoulder the entire time. You are beyond hovering, you’re crossed over into being patronizing and condescending.”

“Patron…” Tony shook his head, “Rhodey I wasn’t’ trying to be…”

But Rhodey was on a roll, “I can’t do anything without you telling me something trivial or acting like I have no idea what I’m doing…I mean, you know I go here too right?”

“Rhodey…”

‘’I mean you’re acting like…you’re treating me like I’m an idiot. I know how to work a drill press Tony, I know what screwdriver to use, I know how to use a plasma cutter, damn it. You’re not the only one who knows how to use these things, Tony!”

Tony looked so confused, “I didn’t mean to…I don’t…”

“Don’t what Tony? Don’t think I know what I’m doing?” Rhodey demanded, irritation bubbling even in the face of Tony’s bewilderment, “Maybe it’s not that, maybe you just don’t trust me enough to…”

“No Rhodey!” Tony eyes were wide and he shook his head vehemently, “That’s not what this is about Rhodey.”

Tony took a hesitant step closer, almost like he was afraid Rhodey might take a swing at him. And that, more than anything, extinguished Rhodey’s anger and frustration in a second.

“Rhodey I trust you,” Tony said quietly, “I trust you more than…You’ve always been there for me. I met you when I was alone and you’re my first real friend. You’re the first person I’ve met that’s my friend because you like me, not my money, my brain, or my cars or my house. You like me and I…” Tony was flushed red but his eyes were on Rhodey begging him to believe him, “I trust you Rhodey.”

Rhodey nodded, feeling a little, okay really guilty, that he put Tony in the position where he thought he needed to prove his friendship and trust to him. He moved and pulled Tony into a tight hug, “I believe you, Tony”

He felt the tension bleed out of Tony’s body and he wrapped his arms around Rhodey’s waist and Rhodey wrapped his around Tony’s shoulders. They stayed like that for a while until Tony spoke:

“I’m nothing without my hands” Tony mumbled into Rhodey’s shirt

Rhodey pulled away but Tony was looking down at their feet, “What?”

Tony sighed before turning to sit on the work bench and Rhodey followed, “When I was in the hospital,” Tony began, playing the splint on his arm, “Howard called me”

Rhodey frowned, he knew all about Tony and Howard’s relationship, “When did he…”

“You had just left to hail a cab and he called me when he heard I was in the hospital…someone must have called him or something,” Tony said, “He already knew what happened.”

Rhodey stayed silent, waiting for Tony to continue

“He didn’t call to ask me if I was alright or anything and I’m sure you’re not surprised” Tony ran a hand through his hair, tugging hard on the brown strands, “The first thing he told me was that I better hope I didn’t ruin my hand because without both of my hands I would be useless.”

Tony laughed bitterly, “I…I blew it off at first, you know? I got angry and hung up but the more I thought about it. I mean, I have my brains and I have my hands Rhodey. I mean sure I could become a model or something…maybe find someone rich and be a kept man or something… or maybe…”

“Tony…” Rhodey said quietly

Tony stopped but didn’t look up from his hands, “I don’t even know why I care what that bastard has to say…I just…I want him to…I want my hands, Rhodey. My hovering and everything,” he said, waving his hand, “I just really wanted to be the one…I didn’t mean to make you feel like you’re an idiot or that I don’t trust you. I’m sorry…”

Rhodey stayed silent, he had found his anger again, but this time it was directed squarely at Howard. No matter what Tony said, Howard was still his father and he still wanted some kind of approval from him. What Howard said, that hurt Tony more than he would really admit…The only time Howard showed any interest in or gave Tony any kind of positive attention was when he could show Tony off. Usually when Tony built something…when he built something with his hands.

Rhodey took a deep breath to try and stomp down his anger because he had more important things to worry about at the moment. Rhodey reached to grab Tony’s hand, “You’re more than just your hands Tony”

Tony still didn’t look up, but he gripped Rhodey’s hand

“You’re Tony Stark” Rhodey said, bumping his shoulder against Tony’s, “Yes, you’re smart and you are good with your hands but you’re also kind, you’re funny, you’re loyal, you’re generous, and more importantly you’re my best friend. My best friend is a hell of a lot more important than just his hands and his brains and anyone who says otherwise has to deal with me.”

Tony did say anything, but Rhodey could see the bashful smile on his face, that telltale blush on his neck.

“Just smart?” Tony asked turning to Rhodey with a smirk, and Rhodey pretended not to see the tears in his eyes

Rhodey rolled his eyes, “Genius” He corrected, “My sarcastic, smart ass, cuddly genius”

Tony laughed and rubbed his eyes, “Thanks Rhodey”

“You’re welcome,” Rhodey wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulders and pulled him in to press a smacking kiss on the side of his head, “Why don’t we go get something to eat, and then we can come back here and finish up your robot pet.”

Tony allowed Rhodey to help him to his feet, “It’s not a robot pet, he’s a robot helper.”

“It’s a ‘he’?” Rhodey led Tony out of the workshop and to the elevators

“Of course he’s a he” Tony said, looking at him like it was obvious, “I’m gonna name him and everything.”

“Name him what?!”

“I’m sure it’ll come to me, Honey Bear”

\---

“O’thay,” Tony said from where he was lying on the couch. He had a schematic in his hands and a red soda hat on his head loaded with smoothies. Both straws were in his mouth so his words were coming out a bit slurred, “Af’er thu ge’ tha’ pieth thaped thuu haf’ to dwill ith.”

“What?!” Rhodey laughed, he pulled the goggles off his head and unplugged the plasma cutter, “Say that again please, without the smoothie straws”

Tony grinned and spit the straws out, “After you get that piece shaped you have to drill it. Same bit as before.”

“Whatever you say, Your Majesty,” Rhodey grabbed one of the smoothies from Tony’s hat as he walked by to the drill press

“Hey!” Tony squawked, throwing a balled of piece of paper at Rhodey, which he dodged easily

“Air Force reflexes” Rhodey turned to wave his fingers at him

“Psssh, Air Force reflexes…” Tony scoffed but he had a smile on his lips, “Let me know when you’re done and I’ll tell you the next step”

Rhodey gave him a thumbs up before he turned to the drill press but before he started he turned to look at Tony. Tony wasn’t even looking at him anymore, his gaze was on his cell phone as he waited for Rhodey to finish. Rhodey turned back with a smile, sometimes Tony Stark was a lot to handle, but he wouldn’t change anything.


End file.
